Apply to be a wholetime firefighter

About the role

Register your interest in Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue.

As a wholetime firefighter you will be responsible for your efficient and effective performance.

You will be responsible for ensuring efficient and effective function and delivery of your element of the divisional, station or department plan.

You will be required to implement appropriate methods to ensure that tasks and targets are met and any failure to achieve is identified, examined and steps taken to address the issue.

As part of your conditions of service you will be required to fulfil the role of firefighter under the nationally agreed firefighter role map.

Where held, you will perform the duties required of any appropriate specialist operational function.

Under the control of crew manager, you will be responsible for the maintenance and testing and recording of the use and testing of operational equipment to ensure operational readiness.

Where required, you will support the watch manager with other tasks and duties appropriate to the role.

Is the role for you?

Consider these questions – can you answer yes to all?

Are you able to:

• work at heights?
• work in enclosed spaces?
• work unsociable hours?
• work in hot, cold, wet conditions?
• see people in traumatic situations?
• see injured people?
• work with unpredictability?

If this sounds like you, you can find out about the recruitment process and how to apply on the following pages.

Salary

• trainee (phase one): £24,191
• development (phase two) £25,198
• competent (phase three) £32,244

Trainee to competent may be a period of two years.

The recruitment process

We operate a thorough recruitment process which takes place over several months.

Stage one - online registration

All applicants must complete the registration and eligibility screening stage to formally start your application. This takes less than 15 minutes to complete and must be completed before the set closing date and time. No late registrations will be possible under any circumstances. 

It will be managed on our behalf by HR Solutions Hub, a service specialising in administering the assessments and tests which make up the sifting process. 

A number of applicants will then get taken through to the next stage and will be invited to complete a situational judgement test which will assess you against firefighter situations.

Stage two - situational judgement test

If you progress onto this stage, you will receive an email from the Apollo system with a link to access the situational judgement test from midday Monday 22 August. The deadline to complete this questionnaire is midday on Tuesday 30 August.

If you do not complete it before this time you will not be progressed further in the recruitment process. If you have passed you will be progressed to the next assessment which is the fire service ability tests.

Stage three - FRS ability tests

You will then be invited to complete three online multiple choice ability tests, which are:

• verbal reasoning
• numerical reasoning
• mechanical reasoning

Each ability test will be timed and will last between 16 and 20 minutes each. 

The ability tests will be verified at a later stage of the process. Therefore, please ensure you are honest and carry out the assessments by yourself.

For support to improve your maths and literacy skills, a range of free courses, including distance learning options can be found on the 2aspire website.

Stage four - full application form

Successful candidates will be asked to complete a full application form and invited to the physical and practical assessments.

Stage five - physical and practical assessments

The physical and practical assessments will be held at the Waddington Training Centre, Sleaford Road, Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln, LN5 9FG.

Prior to attending the physical and practical assessments and to ensure you are fit to take part, you will be asked to complete a confidential medical questionnaire and disclaimer.

The tests will assess your:

• fitness
• strength
• stamina
• co-ordination
• dexterity

All the tests are relevant to the role of a firefighter, such as:

• ladder carry and climb
• casualty evacuation
• equipment carry and assembly
• enclosed spaces
• simulated hose running

Watch our training videos on YouTube for an idea of what to expect

You can follow our 12-week training programme to prepare for the fitness test. 

You will also undertake a dictation test. This 10 minute test will assess your ability to listen and accurately record a message from the incident ground by writing the message exactly as it is heard.

Stage six - swimming assessment and chester step test

The final physical assessments will be a swimming assessment where you will be asked to carry out a 50 metre swim unaided to check your swimming ability and confidence in water. You will also undergo a further fitness test in the form of the chester step test.

Stage seven - interviews

You will be invited to attend an interview, where you will be asked questions about your experience and skills.

The interview will be based around the NFCC Leadership Framework. You can find out what behaviours will be assessed on our website. More guidance will be provided prior to the interview to assist you.

Your answers within the interview will be used to determine your suitability for the role.

Stage eight - medicals and pre-employment checks

The top scoring candidates from interview will then be invited to undertake a medical with our occupational health advisors. Pre-employment checks will also be started and your place on the course will be offered.

Further details available in the candidate pack.

Final stage - initial training

Wholetime firefighter recruits will commence 10-week initial training course in February 2023.

More in-depth detail can be found in our candidate pack.

If you require an accessible version of our candidate pack, please contact RecruitmentFire@lincolnshire.gov.uk.

How to apply

Before you apply, you must:

• reside within 10 miles of the boundary of the county of Lincolnshire
• must have a full car driving licence valid for the UK
• be able to permanently live and work in the UK without any restrictions
• be aged 18 or over at the start of the application process
• have no live convictions or CCJs
• not be undergoing any disciplinary or capability procedures in your current workplace

You will also need to register:

• your name and address
• contact phone number and email
• national insurance number

The recruitment process has now ended.

Armed forces

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue have signed up to the armed forces covenant to treat those who serve, or have served, in the armed forces with fairness and respect.

If you’re currently serving outside our eligible postcodes, you can still apply. Contact RecruitmentFire@lincolnshire.gov.uk prior to registering online.  

We will also consider applications from those outside the postcoded area who have left the armed forces within the last year.

All successful applicants must be able to take up their contract of employment with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue prior to the start of the training course in February 2023.

Key dates

Medical conditions

Firefighters may be exposed to extreme physical and psychological demands in hostile and dangerous environments. The medical screening for firefighters is rigorous to comply with relevant statutory provisions. 

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Fire and Rescue service must reduce risk so far as it  is reasonably practicable. However, the nature and effect of medical conditions vary, and it is impossible to confirm medical conditions that would be unacceptable before an individual medical assessment. A medical condition giving rise to reasonably foreseeable occupational risk would not be acceptable. 

If you have a medical condition or a history of medical conditions which might present problems, following the guidance below should help you to consider your suitability for the role.

A medical condition or functional limitation that, despite any reasonable adjustments, gives rise to a significantly increased occupational risk of the following is likely to be unacceptable: 

• sudden collapse or sudden incapacitation 
• impaired judgement or altered awareness 
• substantial physical or psychological injury or ill health 
• any other effect which would pose a considerable health and safety risk to themselves or others 

Asthma

Asthma does not necessarily prevent an individual from becoming a firefighter. Firefighters are exposed to smoke and other toxicants as part of their job, which irritate the lungs and upper respiratory tract, and can exacerbate wheezing symptoms in firefighters with asthma. The potential applicant's condition will be assessed at the medical stage, after which the fire and rescue service will decide on suitability for the role. The assessment will include:  

• looking at the history of the potential firefighter's asthma, focusing on current symptoms and treatment requirements  
• potential triggers involved in the role including exercise and irritant exposures  
• the frequency and history of exacerbations  

Blood pressure

During the medical assessment, blood pressure readings will be taken to ensure that it is safe for someone to undertake firefighting activities. If the readings indicate stage two hypertension, it will be suggested that the results are discussed with the applicant's GP. 

People can have fluctuations in their blood pressure readings depending on many factors. If they are aware that they have currently or previously had high blood pressure, they should ensure that this is well managed before attending assessments. There will not be an opportunity to schedule further readings during the medical appointment.

Vision

Potential firefighters must have a normal visual field and good vision in both eyes. The minimum uncorrected vision for recruits should be 6/18 in the better eye and 6/24 in the worse. The current 6/60 unaided limit has been retained for serving firefighters.

Applicants aged 25 and over must be able to read N12 at 30 centimetres unaided with both eyes open. Applicants aged under 25 must be able to read N6 at 30 centimetres unaided with both eyes open.

To be considered, potential firefighters must have no history of night blindness or any other ocular disease that is likely to progress and result in future failure of the visual standards for serving firefighters. They must also not have undergone refractive surgery in the previous 12 months. 

Individuals who have had radial keratotomy cannot be considered for operational firefighting duties due to the relatively high incidence of refractive instability. Individuals who have undergone the following types of refractive surgery can be considered 12 months after surgery: 

• photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) 
• laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) 
• laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) 

Firefighters can wear soft contact lenses, but rigid (hard) lenses are not considered safe as debris can become trapped beneath them.

A colour vision test will also be included in the medical assessment. The ishihara test will be used to test for colour perception. If this is not passed, a formal specialist evaluation is required before a vocational colour vision test will be performed.  

Hearing

Hearing defects often result from damage to the ears, and those with hearing damage are more susceptible to further damage and normal age deterioration. 

During the medical assessment, a test using audiometry pure tones will be given using sounds. This follows the national standards and results in either a pass or a grade of hearing defect, defined as:

• low H1 and H2
• moderate H3
• high H4
• severe H5

The hearing assessment results are then used to assign an overall score for each ear. The worse ear is used to grade the individual in their placement.

New firefighters must achieve a minimum hearing standard of level H2.

Medical assessment

The firefighter medical assessment will include the following:  

• general health questionnaire - history of physical and mental health (with additional respiratory questions for the Asbestos Regulations) 
• measurement of:
  • pulse
  • blood pressure
  • height
  • weight
  • waist measurement 
• urinalysis (glucose, protein, blood) 
• vision (both near and distance) plus colour vision
• spirometry (lung capacity test) 
• audiometry (hearing test) 
• drug and alcohol screening 
• general physical examination, for example: 
  • cardiovascular
  • neurological
  • respiratory
  • musculoskeletal